Never make a promise you're not willing to keep. Someone just
might call your bluff.

Case in point: Last Friday, several Coalition foreign-policy
leaders at the Group of Eight pre-summit suggested that - if asked
by the post-June 30 Iraqi transitional government to leave Iraq -
the Coalition would take its marbles (and soldiers) and go
home.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "Were this interim
government to say to us, 'We really think we can handle this on our
own and it will be better if you were to leave,' we will leave."
The British, Italian and Japanese foreign ministers quickly
followed suit.

Now, this may have been said merely to give credence to the
perception of increasing Iraqi sovereignty as we move toward a new
interim government there. But it's quite dangerous to even raise
this as a possibility.

As much as we all want to see the troops come home as soon as
possible, even to suggest the notion of a (premature) departure is
a patently bad idea. It might lead some to view our commitment to
Iraq as shaky - discouraging our friends (e.g., the Kurds) and
encouraging our enemies that victory might be within their grasp
after all. In light of yesterday's killing of Iraqi Governing
Council leader Izzedine Salim, we should back off of this
suggestion immediately.

Even though Secretary Powell and the others expressed confidence
that the new Iraqi government wouldn't ask Coalition forces to
leave, who's to say the new government might not just take us up on
the offer? In fact, some prominent Iraqis are already advocating
that course of action.

On Saturday, Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi called for
America to turn over the oil industry and security to Iraqi forces.
In Fallujah, the new commander of the 1,800-strong Fallujah
brigade, Gen. Muhammed Latif, has suggested that Iraq no longer
needs U.S. soldiers, just help with rebuilding.

Not surprisingly, Russia and France have also weighed in on
limiting the Coalition's control and influence after June 30,
undoubtedly to get their financial claws back into Iraq. Iran must
also be pulling its strings with the Shia community (65 percent of
Iraq's population) to give the Coalition a shove out the door.

The question is: Will more voices (at home and abroad) join this
chorus for the 33-country Coalition to leave Iraq before the job is
done?

Make no mistake about it: Iraqi security forces are nowhere near
ready to handle the situation. Turning over control would play into
the hands of the terrorists, foreign fighters and insurgents by
creating a power vacuum. Moreover, Iraq is in no way able to handle
its own external defense from the likes of rivals Iran and
Syria.

Furthermore, a premature pullout of Coalition forces could:

Set the stage for a civil war: With its complicated ethnic and
religious make-up, Iraq has the potential to spin out of control
quickly, leading to a bloodbath and the country's disintegration.
Iran and Syria would welcome a weak, divided Iraq and exploit it
for anti-American, anti-Israeli purposes.

Create a safe haven for terrorists: Terrorists thrive in chaos.
The premature departure of Coalition troops could turn Iraq into a
veritable playground for the likes of al Qaeda and its Iraqi
cohort, Ansar al Islam.

Discourage investment and aid programs: After years of neglect
under Saddam Hussein and the war, Iraq must be rebuilt. It also
needs foreign investment and assistance in developing civil
institutions as it moves toward democracy. Who would invest in Iraq
or send humanitarian workers there, thinking the Coalition might
precipitously punch out?

Security and stability are critical to Iraq's future. Putting
security responsibilities into Iraqi hands at this point is putting
the cart before the horse. U.S. troops should stay in Iraq until it
can defend itself - and at least until the country holds national
elections early next year. Anything short of this invites potential
disaster and further delay of full Iraqi sovereignty.

America has been rocked by recent events in Iraq, but this no
time to lose our nerve. The Coalition needs to be more steadfast
than ever in its willingness to see this through to victory.
Success in Iraq remains our only exit strategy.